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May 7, 1997, Vol 277, No. 17 >
ARTICLE | May 7, 1997

Regulating Firearm Advertisements That Promise Home Protection: Title and subTitle BreakA Public Health Intervention FREE

Jon S. Vernick, JD, MPH; Stephen P. Teret, JD, MPH; Daniel W. Webster, ScD, MPH
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprints: Jon S. Vernick, JD, MPH, The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Center for Gun Policy and Research, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205.

Health Law and Ethics section editors: Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, the Georgetown/ Johns Hopkins University Program on Law and Public Health, Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Md; Helene M. Cole, MD, Contributing Editor, JAMA.


JAMA. 1997;277(17):1391-1397. doi:10.1001/jama.1997.03540410069033
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Article
References

Firearms are a consumer product responsible for 38 500 deaths in the United States in 1994. Like other products, firearms are advertised. In the absence of rules governing the design of firearms, regulating the way guns are advertised may be a useful public health intervention. Some gun advertisements include messages suggesting that bringing a handgun into the home is generally protective for the occupants of the home. The best available scientific information contradicts this message. Given this disjunction, regulating those advertisements may be an appropriate response. Under federal law, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has authority to prohibit advertisements that are "deceptive" or "unfair." Under the FTC's deception analysis, the focus is on whether consumers are misled by an advertisement. For a finding of unfairness, the FTC looks for advertisements that may cause substantial injury to consumers. Under either analysis, a strong argument can be made that firearm advertisements promising home protection are unlawful. On February 14,1996, several organizations sent separate petitions to the FTC asking it to consider the issues raised by firearm advertisements that promise home protection. The FTC is still reviewing the information presented. There are no First Amendment or Second Amendment impediments to FTC regulation of deceptive firearm advertising under the US Constitution.

REFERENCES

1 +
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. 49 CFR §571 et seq (1995).
2 +
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts 1994 . Washington, DC: US Dept of Transportation; 1995;. US Dept of Transportation publication HS 808 292.
3 +
Singh GK, Kochanek KD, MacDorman MF.  Advance report of final mortality statistics, 1994 . Monthly Vital Stat Rep . 1996;;45( (3, suppl) ).
4 +
Pub L No. 94-284, §3(e), May 11, 1976, 90 Stat 504 (1976).
5 +
Pierce JP, Lee L, Gilpin EA.  Smoking initiation by adolescent girls, 1944 through 1988: an association with targeted advertising . JAMA . 1994;;271:608-611.
6 +
US Dept of Health and Human Services. Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General . Washington, DC: Office on Smoking and Health, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1989;. DHHS publication CDC 89-8411.
7 +
Blendon RJ, Young JT, Hemenway D.  The American public and the gun control debate . JAMA . 1996;;275:1719-1722.
8 +
Wintemute GJ.  The relationship between firearm design and firearm violence: handguns in the 1990s . JAMA . 1996;;275:1749-1753.
9 +
Wintemute GJ. Unpublished report prepared for The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, 1994.
10 +
Wintemute GJ. Advertising Firearms for Protection . Sacramento, Calif: Violence Prevention Research Program; 1995;.
11 +
Colt advertisement.  'Self-protection is more than your right... it's your responsibility .' Ladies Home Journal , SE Regional Edition, (July) 1992;.
12 +
Beretta USA advertisement.  'Homeowner's Insurance .' Women & Guns . (May) 1996;:27.
13 +
Beretta USA advertisement. ' Tip the odds in your favor .' Women & Guns . (February) 1994;:2.
14 +
1996 National Gun Policy Survey: Questionnaire With Weighted Frequencies. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research; 1997.
15 +
Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory. New Providence, NJ: RR Bowker; 1995.
16 +
Colt advertisement. ' You might think this ad is about handguns: it's really about doubling your business .' Shot Business . (January/February) 1993;.
17 +
Beretta advertisement. New York Times . (December 4) , 1996;:A32.
18 +
Kellermann AL, Rivara FP, Somes G, et al.  Suicide in the home in relation to gun ownership . N Engl J Med . 1992;;327:467-472.
19 +
Brent DA, Perper JA, Allman CJ, Moritz GM, Wartella ME, Zelenak JP.  The presence and accessibility of firearms in the homes of adolescent suicides . JAMA . 1991;;266:2989-2995.
20 +
Brent DA, Perper JA, Goldstein CE, et al.  Risk factors for adolescent suicide: a comparison of adolescent suicide victims with suicidal inpatients . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1988;;45:581-588.
21 +
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Reports for the United States: 1994 . Washington, DC: US Dept of Justice; 1995;.
22 +
Kellermann AL, Rivara FP, Rushforth NB, et al.  Gun ownership as a risk factor for homicide in the home . N Engl J Med . 1993;;329:1084-1091.
23 +
Rand MR. Guns and Crime: Handgun Victimization, Firearm Self-defense, and Firearm Theft . Crime Data Brief. Washington, DC: US Dept of Justice; 1994;. Bureau of Justice Statistics NCJ-147003.
24 +
Annest JL, Mercy JA, Gibson DR, Ryan GW.  National estimates of nonfatal firearm-related injuries: beyond the tip of the iceberg . JAMA . 1995;;273:1749-1754.
25 +
Kellermann AL, Westphal L, Fischer L, Harvard B.  Weapon involvement in home invasion crimes . JAMA . 1995;;273:1759-1762.
26 +
Kleck G, Gertz M.  Armed resistance to crime: the prevalence and nature of self-defense with a gun . J Crim Law Criminol . 1995;;86:150-187.
27 +
Reiss AJ, Roth JA, eds. Understanding and Preventing Violence . Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1993;:265.
28 +
McDowall D, Wiersema B.  The incidence of defensive firearm use by US crime victims, 1987-1990 . Am J Public Health . 1994;;84:1982-1984.
29 +
Hemenway D. Survey research and self-defense gun use: an explanation of extreme overestimates. J Crim Law Criminol. In press.
30 +
Cook PJ.  The technology of personal violence . In: Tonry M, ed. Crime and Justice: A Review of Research . Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press; 1991;;14:1-71.
31 +
Federal Trade Commission Act, 38 Stat 717 (1914) (codified as amended at 15 USC §45 [1994]).
32 +
Orkin Exterminating Co v FTC, 849 F2d 1354 (11th Cir 1988).
33 +
Federal Trade Commission Rules of Procedures, 16 CFR §2.1 et seq (1995).
34 +
15 USC §45(b) (1995).
35 +
Warner-Lambert Co v FTC, 652 F2d 749 (DC Cir 1977), cert denied, 435 US 950 (1978).
36 +
Funeral Industry Practices Rule, 16 CFR 453 (1995).
37 +
Maryland Consumer Protection Act, Md Com Law Code Ann §13-101 et seq (1990 & Cum Supp 1994).
38 +
FTC Policy Statement on Deception, reprinted at 1137 BNA ATRR 689 (October 27,1983), also appended to Cliffdale Associates, 103 FTC 110 (1984).
39 +
FTC v Colgate-Palmolive, 380 US 379 (1965).
40 +
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company v FTC, 481 F2d 246 (6th Cir 1973).
41 +
Removatron Intern Corp v FTC, 884 F2d 1489, 1497 (1st Cir 1989).
42 +
Heinz W. Kirchner, 63 FTC 1282, 1290 (1963).
43 +
Pertschuk M, Dixon PR, Clanton DA, Pitofsky R, Bailey PA. Commission Statement of Policy on the Scope of The Consumer Unfairness Jurisdiction (December 17, 1980), reprinted at 1220 BNA ATRR 1068 (June 20, 1985).
44 +
Federal Trade Commission Act Amendments of 1994, Pub L No. 103-312, §9, 108 Stat 1691 (1994), codified at 15 USC §45(b) et seq (1995).
45 +
AMF Inc, 95 FTC 310, 312 (1980).
46 +
International Harvester Co, 104 FTC 949 (1984).
47 +
Hemenway D, Solnick SJ, Azrael DR.  Firearm training and storage . JAMA . 1995;;273:46-50.
48 +
Federal Trade Commission. Policy Statement Regarding Advertising Substantiation Program. 49 Federal Register 30999 (1984).
49 +
Mace Security International Inc, 1994 FTC Lexis 51 (1994).
50 +
Virginia Pharmacy Board v Virginia Citizens Consumer Council Inc, 425 US 748 (1976).
51 +
Zauderer v Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 471 US 626, 638 (1985).
52 +
44 Liquormart Inc v Rhode Island, 1996 US Lexis 3020 (1996).
53 +
Presser v Illinois, 116 US 252 (1886).
54 +
Vernick JS, Teret SP.  Firearms and health: the right to be armed with accurate information about the Second Amendment . Am J Public Health . 1993;;83:1773-1777.
55 +
United States v Miller, 307 US 174, 178 (1939).

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1 +
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. 49 CFR §571 et seq (1995).
2 +
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts 1994 . Washington, DC: US Dept of Transportation; 1995;. US Dept of Transportation publication HS 808 292.
3 +
Singh GK, Kochanek KD, MacDorman MF.  Advance report of final mortality statistics, 1994 . Monthly Vital Stat Rep . 1996;;45( (3, suppl) ).
4 +
Pub L No. 94-284, §3(e), May 11, 1976, 90 Stat 504 (1976).
5 +
Pierce JP, Lee L, Gilpin EA.  Smoking initiation by adolescent girls, 1944 through 1988: an association with targeted advertising . JAMA . 1994;;271:608-611.
6 +
US Dept of Health and Human Services. Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General . Washington, DC: Office on Smoking and Health, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1989;. DHHS publication CDC 89-8411.
7 +
Blendon RJ, Young JT, Hemenway D.  The American public and the gun control debate . JAMA . 1996;;275:1719-1722.
8 +
Wintemute GJ.  The relationship between firearm design and firearm violence: handguns in the 1990s . JAMA . 1996;;275:1749-1753.
9 +
Wintemute GJ. Unpublished report prepared for The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, 1994.
10 +
Wintemute GJ. Advertising Firearms for Protection . Sacramento, Calif: Violence Prevention Research Program; 1995;.
11 +
Colt advertisement.  'Self-protection is more than your right... it's your responsibility .' Ladies Home Journal , SE Regional Edition, (July) 1992;.
12 +
Beretta USA advertisement.  'Homeowner's Insurance .' Women & Guns . (May) 1996;:27.
13 +
Beretta USA advertisement. ' Tip the odds in your favor .' Women & Guns . (February) 1994;:2.
14 +
1996 National Gun Policy Survey: Questionnaire With Weighted Frequencies. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research; 1997.
15 +
Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory. New Providence, NJ: RR Bowker; 1995.
16 +
Colt advertisement. ' You might think this ad is about handguns: it's really about doubling your business .' Shot Business . (January/February) 1993;.
17 +
Beretta advertisement. New York Times . (December 4) , 1996;:A32.
18 +
Kellermann AL, Rivara FP, Somes G, et al.  Suicide in the home in relation to gun ownership . N Engl J Med . 1992;;327:467-472.
19 +
Brent DA, Perper JA, Allman CJ, Moritz GM, Wartella ME, Zelenak JP.  The presence and accessibility of firearms in the homes of adolescent suicides . JAMA . 1991;;266:2989-2995.
20 +
Brent DA, Perper JA, Goldstein CE, et al.  Risk factors for adolescent suicide: a comparison of adolescent suicide victims with suicidal inpatients . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1988;;45:581-588.
21 +
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Reports for the United States: 1994 . Washington, DC: US Dept of Justice; 1995;.
22 +
Kellermann AL, Rivara FP, Rushforth NB, et al.  Gun ownership as a risk factor for homicide in the home . N Engl J Med . 1993;;329:1084-1091.
23 +
Rand MR. Guns and Crime: Handgun Victimization, Firearm Self-defense, and Firearm Theft . Crime Data Brief. Washington, DC: US Dept of Justice; 1994;. Bureau of Justice Statistics NCJ-147003.
24 +
Annest JL, Mercy JA, Gibson DR, Ryan GW.  National estimates of nonfatal firearm-related injuries: beyond the tip of the iceberg . JAMA . 1995;;273:1749-1754.
25 +
Kellermann AL, Westphal L, Fischer L, Harvard B.  Weapon involvement in home invasion crimes . JAMA . 1995;;273:1759-1762.
26 +
Kleck G, Gertz M.  Armed resistance to crime: the prevalence and nature of self-defense with a gun . J Crim Law Criminol . 1995;;86:150-187.
27 +
Reiss AJ, Roth JA, eds. Understanding and Preventing Violence . Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1993;:265.
28 +
McDowall D, Wiersema B.  The incidence of defensive firearm use by US crime victims, 1987-1990 . Am J Public Health . 1994;;84:1982-1984.
29 +
Hemenway D. Survey research and self-defense gun use: an explanation of extreme overestimates. J Crim Law Criminol. In press.
30 +
Cook PJ.  The technology of personal violence . In: Tonry M, ed. Crime and Justice: A Review of Research . Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press; 1991;;14:1-71.
31 +
Federal Trade Commission Act, 38 Stat 717 (1914) (codified as amended at 15 USC §45 [1994]).
32 +
Orkin Exterminating Co v FTC, 849 F2d 1354 (11th Cir 1988).
33 +
Federal Trade Commission Rules of Procedures, 16 CFR §2.1 et seq (1995).
34 +
15 USC §45(b) (1995).
35 +
Warner-Lambert Co v FTC, 652 F2d 749 (DC Cir 1977), cert denied, 435 US 950 (1978).
36 +
Funeral Industry Practices Rule, 16 CFR 453 (1995).
37 +
Maryland Consumer Protection Act, Md Com Law Code Ann §13-101 et seq (1990 & Cum Supp 1994).
38 +
FTC Policy Statement on Deception, reprinted at 1137 BNA ATRR 689 (October 27,1983), also appended to Cliffdale Associates, 103 FTC 110 (1984).
39 +
FTC v Colgate-Palmolive, 380 US 379 (1965).
40 +
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company v FTC, 481 F2d 246 (6th Cir 1973).
41 +
Removatron Intern Corp v FTC, 884 F2d 1489, 1497 (1st Cir 1989).
42 +
Heinz W. Kirchner, 63 FTC 1282, 1290 (1963).
43 +
Pertschuk M, Dixon PR, Clanton DA, Pitofsky R, Bailey PA. Commission Statement of Policy on the Scope of The Consumer Unfairness Jurisdiction (December 17, 1980), reprinted at 1220 BNA ATRR 1068 (June 20, 1985).
44 +
Federal Trade Commission Act Amendments of 1994, Pub L No. 103-312, §9, 108 Stat 1691 (1994), codified at 15 USC §45(b) et seq (1995).
45 +
AMF Inc, 95 FTC 310, 312 (1980).
46 +
International Harvester Co, 104 FTC 949 (1984).
47 +
Hemenway D, Solnick SJ, Azrael DR.  Firearm training and storage . JAMA . 1995;;273:46-50.
48 +
Federal Trade Commission. Policy Statement Regarding Advertising Substantiation Program. 49 Federal Register 30999 (1984).
49 +
Mace Security International Inc, 1994 FTC Lexis 51 (1994).
50 +
Virginia Pharmacy Board v Virginia Citizens Consumer Council Inc, 425 US 748 (1976).
51 +
Zauderer v Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 471 US 626, 638 (1985).
52 +
44 Liquormart Inc v Rhode Island, 1996 US Lexis 3020 (1996).
53 +
Presser v Illinois, 116 US 252 (1886).
54 +
Vernick JS, Teret SP.  Firearms and health: the right to be armed with accurate information about the Second Amendment . Am J Public Health . 1993;;83:1773-1777.
55 +
United States v Miller, 307 US 174, 178 (1939).

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